Thomas Tuchel named England manager LIVE: New assistant revealed for Three Lions boss
The German has been officially announced as the third foreign manager of England’s senior men’s side
England have officially announced Thomas Tuchel as the new manager of the men’s national team, with highly-regarded English coach Anthony Barry as his assistant.
The German succeeds Gareth Southgate as the permanent boss of the side in an eye-catching appointment made by the Football Association (FA). The former Chelsea manager has been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season, but carries real pedigree, leading the Stamford Bridge club to Champions League triumph in 2021 and winning league titles in both Germany and France.
The 51-year-old will lead England into the 2026 World Cup on North American soil having emerged as the FA’s preferred appointment this week – with official confirmation coming on Wednesday morning. A number of candidates, including Pep Guardiola, were sounded out over the vacancy while Lee Carsley performed the duties on an interim basis, but Tuchel fits many of the criteria outlined by the stand-in manager last week.
Having worked closely with captain Harry Kane at Bayern last season, Tuchel will be unveiled as the third foreign holder of the role after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, but leading pundit Gary Lineker isn’t sure the Three Lions have made the right choice.
Follow all the latest updates in our live blog below:
Lee Carsley has full focus on England’s must-win rematch in Greece
Lee Carsley wishes the must-win trip to Greece was next week as England’s caretaker boss looks to atone for their Wembley wobble and end his interim reign with Nations League promotion.
September’s 2-0 wins away to the Republic of Ireland and Finland were encouraging, but the mood turned when Carsley’s experimental approach against Greece backfired last Thursday.
Lee Carsley has full focus on England’s must-win rematch in Greece
England’s defeat to the Greeks at Wembley left them with an uphill challenge to earn Nations League promotion.
Carsley to return to Under-21s
England’s current interim boss Lee Carsley will return to the Under-21s and lead their defence of the Euros title they won in 2023 once Thomas Tuchel takes over in January 2025.
Carsley has been vocal that his tenure as England senior men’s manager would only last for the three Nations League camps and he is looking forward to returning to his previous role.
The England U21s secured qualification for the 2025 Euros at the weekend.
New assistant coach revealed in Tuchel announcement
Thomas Tuchel will be helped on the sidelines by English coach Anthony Barry who has signed on to be assistant to the German when he takes up his duties as the national coach.
Barry previously worked with Tuchel at Chelsea and Bayern Munich and says he ‘didn’t hesitate’ to join the team when asked.
He said: “For any Englishman in football, working with the national team is the pinnacle and I didn’t hesitate when Thomas asked me to come and join him again. I know what a great place St. George’s Park is and how much of an advantage it gives our England teams, and the support it gives to coaches.
“This squad is very talented and have done so much to bring the country together, I look forward to meeting and working with them on this exciting project.”
Tuchel ‘proud’ to lead England team
Thomas Tuchel has provided some initial thoughts to taking on the England manager job and says he is ‘proud to be given the honour’.
Tuchel said: “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team. I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already. To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.
“Working closely with Anthony as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud. I want to thank The FA, in particular Mark and John, for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”
FA CEO on Thomas Tuchel appointment
FA CEO Mark Bullingham said: “We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him.
“Our recruitment process has been very thorough. Before the Euros we had a contingency plan and outlined exactly the qualities we would be looking for in a coach. Since Gareth resigned, we have worked through the candidate pool, meeting a number of coaches and evaluating them against that criteria.
“Thomas was very impressive and stood out with his vast expertise and his drive. Anthony is a top English talent and also has international experience with Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Portugal.
“Fundamentally we wanted to hire a coaching team to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that. Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.
“I would like to thank Lee [Carsley] for stepping up and doing everything we asked of him – he is a very talented coach and a major part of our England pathway. He will now focus on retaining the U21 Euro title in the summer. These are exciting times for England fans at senior and MU21 level, and we look forward to welcoming Thomas and Anthony when they begin work in January.”
Tuchel official announced as new England boss
The FA has released a statement this morning announcing that Thomas Tuchel will indeed be the next permanent England manager. It reads:
“The FA has announced that Uefa Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel is the new England senior men’s head coach and will be assisted by internationally renowned English coach Anthony Barry. Tuchel returns to English football after a trophy-laden period with Chelsea who he led to become European and world champions, having also been successful at elite level in Germany and France.
“In addition, he was voted Uefa and Fifa’s coach of the year in 2021 in recognition of his work in England. His arrival at The FA concludes an extensive recruitment search which began in July, just after the Three Lions’ run to the Uefa Euro 2024 final.
“The confidential process, which saw several candidates interviewed, was led by FA CEO Mark Bullingham and men’s technical director John McDermott, and saw Tuchel identified as the preferred appointment. The decision to recruit Tuchel and Barry was approved by the FA Board early last week, with Tuchel signing his contract on Tuesday 8 October.
“The announcement was delayed to minimise distraction around the international camp that has just concluded. The pair will begin work on 1 January 2025 ahead of the qualification process for the following year’s Fifa World Cup finals, due to be staged in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
“Tuchel’s impressive list of coaching honours includes league titles in France and Germany, twice with Paris Saint-Germain and most recently with Bayern Munich in the 2022/23 season, having won his first major trophy in 2017 when Borussia Dortmund lifted the German Cup. Tuchel will be reunited with Barry, having worked closely with the Englishman at Chelsea and Bayern and where together they won four trophies between both clubs.
“Liverpool-born Barry, who is a Uefa Pro licence holder, has significant international pedigree, notably working with Belgium and Portugal at the 2022 Fifa World Cup and Uefa Euro 2024 respectively. The pair will bring a small backroom team with them to St. George’s Park, with a further coaching update expected in the near future.
“Interim head coach Lee Carsley will remain in charge of the Three Lions through to the conclusion of the Uefa Nations League group stage next month, with decisive games away to Greece and at home to Republic of Ireland. He will then return to lead England’s defence of their Uefa U21 Euro title, after qualification for the finals next summer was secured this weekend.”
Harry Redknapp gives thoughts on Thomas Tuchel appointment
Former Tottenham and Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp spoke about the reported appointment of Thomas Tuchel as the England manager and told Sky Sports News: “I’m very patriotic, I think we should have an English manager but obviously the field was very small to choose from.”
Redknapp added: “He’s [Tuchel] lost his job quite quickly at a couple of clubs. It’s not like he’s been a massive success. He’s come and gone at a couple of clubs.”
Pep Guardiola responds to England job speculation with intriguing remark
Pep Guardiola has left the door open to one day become manager of England after suggesting “anything can happen” in his future.
Guardiola’s contract with Manchester City runs out at the end of the season, adding to the uncertainty around the four-in-a-row champions amid a legal case brought on by the Premier League alleging more than 100 financial breaches, which City deny.
“Leaving City? It’s not true, I haven’t decided yet,” Guardiola said when asked about his future on Italian TV show Che tempo Che Fa.
“And it is not even true that I will be the next England coach. If I had decided I would say it… I don’t know either, anything can happen.”
Thomas Tuchel set to be appointed England manager
The former Chelsea boss has reportedly signed a deal with the FA to take charge of the national team and will replace interim boss Lee Carsley in January 2025.
An announcement is expected later today to confirm the details of the appointment.
Roberto Martinez on Thomas Tuchel taking on England job
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez spoke to the press after last night’s 0-0 draw with Scotland and was asked for his thoughts on Thomas Tuchel taking over the England manager role.
Martinez said: “He’s a wonderful coach, he’s someone that has won the Champions League, he knows the Premier League inside out. I think he’s someone that is going to bring a fantastic level and carry on what Gareth Southgate’s done.
“I said it many times, he did an amazing job with England and I think Thomas can do a great job too.”
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